A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum….. I became a prude. I turned 60 earlier this year, and without a doubt, I’ve become quite conservative in what one might refer to as the “public square”. Language and behavior that is vulgar (yes, a very subjective word) now bothers me. Not so much behind closed doors, or in “locker room” type situations, but in the public square of political rallies, television, commercials, music, and movies. Long Shot aims low and hits the mark. Some of the talk, and visual images of Long Shot would clearly have earned it an “X” rating in the 70’s or 80’s. Today, this behavior is considered main stream in Romcom’s (Romantic comedies) I find it tasteless and cheap. (And this is coming from a viewer who in 1977 thought Saturday Night Fever was the greatest movie of all time – a movie that in its day was quite graphic in its hard core street language and behavior) If your idea of humor are penis erections, masturbation, ejaculation, accompanied by the gutter euphemisms of each action, then hurry on down and see Long Shot. [Read more…]

GO SEE THIS MOVIE! That’s about the best and most brief review I can give The Green Book. In the genre of historical dramas, where good overcomes bad, this feel-good movie for the holiday season will put a smile on your face and give you hope that there is light at the end of the tunnel for what modern day pop culture refers to as “race relations”.

One could argue from both the Right and Left, that this movie shows one of two things: How much progress the Civil Rights movement has made for blacks, OR, a pessimist might argue that not only is there a long way to go, but that there has been regress in the advancement of blacks place in modern society. I always look through the lens of life with the glass as half full, so I see the good and hope in the movie, rather than the bleak view of “See how racist the south is, and it’s even worse today with our current President”. (Sorry race baiters, it’s not worse…this movie only goes to demonstrate what one could NOT get away with today…)

The short description of this movie is as such: It’s 1962. Our protagonist, Tony Lip, played by Viggo Mortenson, is a 1st generation Italian American, blue collar worker in New York who is not so much a racist as he is an ignorant-narrow minded man of his time and culture. Although he is working on the up and up, there are clearly opportunities for him to join the world of organized crime. Yet, he wants to keep his nose clean, and due to his tough nature, is hired by a wealthy black musician, Doctor Don Shirley, played by Mahershala Ali to be his driver. I’ll spare the details as to why and how this happens, for it is much of the charm and heart of the movie that is revealed little by little as the movie develops.

The movie is a throwback to times when one ethnic group could slander the other ethnic group, and not be hung out to dry by the modern day social warriors. Tony, the Italian driver at one time or another in the movie offends with racial slurs, or stereotypes just about every minority. Yet, it’s done so fairly, evenly, matter of factly, that it’s hard to be offended, for he is equally offensive to all. At the same time, while he’s offending those minorities he has no trouble in interacting with them and befriending them. The movie is as funny, as it is warm when these interactions take place. Both Dr. Shirley and Tony learn and teach lessons to each other along the way. Each begins the movie, surely looking down on the other, yet during their 6-week road trip together their pre conceived perceptions slowly melt away.

The further Tony drives Dr. Shirley into the south, the more challenging it becomes in their dealings with the public, Jim Crow laws, and police. You kind of know were the story will go, but there are enough pleasant surprises along the way, and the end is schmaltzy enough that it’s hard not to come away smiling.

Take a racist relative to see his movie… take a race bating liberal to this movie… take a close minded friend to this movie…. Take a Black Lives Matter member to see this movie… it’s hard to imagine any of them not walking away with a warm fuzzy feeling about humanity.

You’ve got to tip your cap to Hollywood…. To make a movie that is NOT a tribute to Ted Kennedy…. To make a movie that does not show Ted Kennedy bashing President Bush, or demonizing Republicans… This movie shows Ted Kennedy at the most vulnerable point in his life, after driving a car into a pond, and inadvertently killing the passenger, and THEN, juggling his options of telling the entire truth, or futzing the facts, and salvaging his political career.

Except for Kennedy devotees, this movie comes off as a seemingly fair portrayal of the incidents around the 1969 accident. Anyone over the age of 55 knows the story, and most under have heard of it, and know the general facts. In “fact”, unless there is still some very unknown, very hidden, very devious hidden lies, most of the facts that matter have either been told, or certainly insinuated. (Did he have an affair with Mary Joe Kopechne? In the grand scheme of her death, it really doesn’t matter… Was he drinking? Most likely, but that does not excuse what happened, it only makes it more of a legal issue… Did his father try to manipulate him, to cover it up? Surely, but, it was still Ted Kennedy’s call as to WHAT to say to the press, and WHEN.

Since the entire premise, and end result are known to most viewers, drama is low key, and there are no surprise twists or turns. The movie plays out like an above average Made-for-TV Movie. What it does best is how it explores more about what and when his two closet advisors that night knew, did, and suggested to Kennedy what he should do….

As the facts are portrayed in the movie, Kennedy (played by Australian actor, Jason Clarke) comes out of the water after the car goes off the bridge. He makes an attempt to save the life of Mary Joe Kopechne. (Played by Kate Mara)

When unable to see her or pull her out, he stumbles back to the house where his advisors/friends/cousin are finishing off the evening of a party celebration. (The party certainly implies they were drinking and that Kennedy very likely was driving intoxicated) Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan, two comedians, take on the rolls of Kennedy’s advisors and friends, Paul Markham and Joe Gargan (who was also a first cousin to Kennedy). Both men go back to the scene of the accident, dive in and look for Mary Joe. They are unable to find her and insist that Ted go straight to the law authorities and report the accident. History shows, he does not, and that’s what sets the second half of the movie in motion. One of the most critical revelations is that during the time Kennedy did NOT report the accident, shows that Kopechne may very well been still alive, and could have been saved even many hours later in the evening, had the accident been reported, and rescue teams sent out.

The movie then shows the days that follow, and it’s played out very slowly, yet the interaction between central characters in the political world, and personal world of Kennedy, all do their best to advise him on what to do…. One of my favorite lines of the movie comes toward the end, when Kenney is about to give a speech to the nation, just days after the accident…

…..Kennedy, trying to convince his cousin Joe that a massaged speech could work better than his resignation, says, “This may give me a chance at a new beginning.”

Is this a movie that has Liberals squirming in their seats? Absolutely… A movie that is a Conservatives wet dream? Perhaps… A movie that will live in your minds as an all-time classic? Doubtful… A movie that will make you smile, laugh uncomfortably, and sometimes want to stand up and cheer? If you’re right of center, it’s quite possible… if you’re left of center, you may be more inclined to walk out of the theater.

Death Wish, the 2018 remake of the 1974 hit with Charles Bronson updates the theme, and replays the movie with slickness of todays technology making this time Bruce Willis the distraught father, successful surgeon, and folk hero to some, and vigilante monster to others. The radio DJ’s in the movie come on air each time Willis hits back and argue back the typical response to vigilantism, (And often with good merit), that society can’t have vigilantes taking the law into their own hands, for it then puts society on the brink of anarchy. So, Yes, we can acknowledge that in the real world, it would be difficult to accept this kind of response to criminals run-amok, but at the same time, we can “wish” something like this could happen. It indeed will be cathartic to conservatives

I’m not giving anything away when I report that the happy family of Dr. Paul Kersey (Bruce Willis) and his wife (Elizabeth Shue), and daughter (Camilla Morrone) is thrown into a nightmare as they are horrible attacked at their home, and one of the family members is murdered, while the other suffers injuries that leave her in a coma.

In typical Dirty Harry fashion, the police try their best, but are for reasons quite unsatisfying to Dr. Kersey, not able to “do their job”, and protect the public. The movie then takes a sad and comic journey with his decision to turn to vigilantism. It’s not a wake up one day and go out on a rampage. We see how he is progressively more depressed and frustrated at what Chicago has become, and how little the police or public are doing to protect their citizens.

The first act of revenge is clumsy, but quite effective. The second is more methodical and premeditated, and turns out to be a great movie scene, right with the best that Clint Eastwood’s Dirty Harry would do. (“Go ahead, make my day…”)

More than randomly taking on the scum of Chicago, Dr. Kersey has a more specific plan of finding and punishing those who were responsible for the attack on his family. (Also a little like Harrison Ford, in The Fugitive) It’s clever and creative to see how he goes about investigating WHO the attackers were, all the while alluding the police who are now looking to capture the “Grim Reaper”. Two scenes where he visits a gun shop are played with effective drama, while bringing laughs as well. The second visit, is simply a quick cut, where he stands in front of the sales woman and says, “I want to buy a gun”. He does this toward the back end of the movie, well after he has taken out a few other scum bags with an illegal gun that stumbled into his hands at the hospital.

My favorite line? Had me smiling and laughing, and cheering. Dr. Kersey is out for his second “kill”, after he learns of a gang member who shot a 10 year old boy in the hand, and then threatened him to stay quite and obey his laws of the street. Willis approaches the gang member, in a hood mixed with kids and criminals. When he asks the Hoodlum, who is posing as an Ice cream man, if HE is in fact the ICE CREAM MAN, The Ice Cream man, pulls out a gun, and is about to shoot Willis when the Ice Cream Man responds, “Who’s asking” Willis without missing a beat, pulls his gun and responds, “Your last customer”! Bang Bang Bang!

(Brief recap of who the Closet Conservative Critic is….C.C.C. is a 50-something “person of interest” who occasional writes on the Bookworm Blog, under the guise of the “Closet Conservative Critic”, reviewing Hollywood movies, and giving opinions with the perspective of a conservative. C.C.C. has worked in Hollywood and rubbed elbows with some of the most Liberal of the bunch. C.C.C. now lives in Marin County, and secretly lays low as a minority, in a bastion of limousine liberals)

Last year I made predictions for eight categories in the Oscars and correctly predicted five of them… given THAT as your barometer, consider your chances on using my predictions for any Las Vegas bets…

My predictions have nothing to do with my personal feelings about the movie… it’s simply an objective opinion based on 40 years of following the Oscars, 30 years of working in show biz, countless Oscar parties attended where the guests play the “WHO WILL WIN” pool, and just a gut feeling of the timing and sense of how the majority of the Academy will vote.

My personal picks however are clearly a subjective opinion, often times based on a political angle of how the filmmakers spun their stories or characters in this modern day media world of “Conservatives are bad …. We hate Trump”

Best Picture

SHOULD WIN: Darkest Hour

PREDICTION: The Shape of Water

The Darkest Hour was not my favorite movie of the year. (Coco was, followed by A Dogs Purpose, I Tonya, and Wonder) Yet, of the nominees it’s clearly my personal favorite. Winston Churchill saved England from the Nazis and did so with a great deal of in-house fighting with other politicians of Great Britain at the time. He was vilified as much as he was beloved. History has treated him much better than did his political opponents at the time. Add to that, among the many great quotes credited to him, one of my favorites is … “If you’re not Liberal at age 20 you don’t have a heart. If you’re not conservative at age 40, you don’t have a brain.” (* This quote has frequently been questioned as to having been said by Churchill, but it’s great fodder, and it sounds like something he could have said…)

I just saw The Shape of Water this week. It’s overrated, really quite silly and very bizarre. Yet, it’s the darling of the critics. It’s produced by a very talented Mexican filmmaker. Look for the Academy to give the Oscar this year to Shape of Water, and they’ll be just hoping this Mexican producer comes up on stage and will wave the Mexican flag, and rag on Trump.

Best Director

SHOULD WIN: Greta Gerwig – Lady Bird

PREDICTION: Guillermo de Toro – The Shape of Water

Greta Gerwig directed a charming, heart-warming movie that’s a bonding story of a mother and daughter. In spite of a few digs at President Regan, it’s quite fair and gentle toward the Catholic religion. More than a few Nuns and Priests are portrayed as very sympathetic characters and as real humans in the movie. Greta could win, given that Hollywood would love to see a woman director win. However, in the fight for victimhood status, the Mexican director will win over the woman. Guillermo will win for the same reasons mentioned above about the Shape of Water for best picture.

How does one make Tonya Harding remotely likable? Margo Robbie’s performance is flawless. Playing the role of the trailer trash, foul-mouthed Olympic Ice Skater, Robbie plays down her own good looks, and plays up the low-life, brain-dead Tonya Harding. She may win, but my money is on Frances McDormand for Three Billboards. Her role as the heartbroken mother of a murdered daughter is terrific. While we sympathize with her in one scene, we are cringing in the next for some downright mean or immoral action her character will take.

Best Actor

SHOULD WIN: Gary Oldman: Darkest Hour

PREDICTION: Gary Oldman: Darkest Hour

Each year there is one category where the actor is considered a lock to win. He/She plays the role of a character that they BECOME and follow (generally) a very well written script that allows them to push the envelope. Gary Oldman, in a very DeNiro like way, BECOMES Churchill. He looks, sounds, and probably smells like Winston Churchill. A great performance, in a great movie, about a great man.

Best Supporting Actress

SHOULD WIN: Allison Janney – I, Tanya

PREDICTION: Allison Janney – I Tanya

Again, like my pick and prediction for Oldman in Darkest Hour, my thoughts on Allison Janney as Tonya Hardings mother are similar. My personal favorite, AND my pick to win. Playing the role of the worst Mother of the Year, she never comes off as sympathetic, yet every moment she’s on the screen you can’t take your eyes off her. You are continually shaking your head that a mother could be so cruel and so nasty, both emotionally and physically. Janney often plays roles where her characters have a snarky edge. She was born to play this roll as Tonya’s mother.

Best Supporting Actor

SHOULD WIN: Sam Rockwell: Three Billboards

PREDICTION: William Dafoe: The Florida Project

Like Robbie in I, Tanya, Rockwell takes on the roll of a charming scumbag. One minute he’s an evil racist, and the next a charming nim-whit. For a movie that had very few people to “like”, he, McDormand, and Woody Harrelson bring flawed humans, with complex emotions to the screen. Rockwell or Harrelson could win, yet I see their votes being split, leaving room for the long-shot, underdog, William Dafoe to win. His roll in the Florida Project is under sung, and under-rated.

Best Original Screenplay

SHOULD WIN: The Big Sick

PREDICTION: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri

I Loved The Big Sick! I’m a sucker for feel-good movies where all the characters are likeable, and they just need to fine-tune their ways so all is well in the happy-lovable universe. I don’t need complex, complicated, traumatized, demented, dark characters to enjoy a movie. Give me The Big Sick. YET, the dark side of the human character seems to appeal more to the Academy, so look for Three Billboards to win.

Best Adapted Screenplay

SHOULD WIN: Don’t care…. Did not see any of the five nominated movies…

PREDICTION: Mudbound.

Why Mudbound? Just a hunch…

Best Animated Picture

SHOULD WIN: Coco

PREDICTION: Coco

This category is quite imbalanced… Two of the animated movies in this category nobody ever saw, and the other two are so light and meaningless that it will be Coco in a landslide. And, justly so. The movie was fantastic in every conceivable way. Funny, semimetal, cute, worldly, great music, culturally informative, great colors, editing, visual effects and animation movement. Pixar continues to break new ground, and their charming and FUN stories know no bounds. Will win, and should win.

Semi Final Prediction:

At least five of the winners will jump up on stage, and after thanking their wives and mothers, will offer us their annoying, and unsolicited options on the world and politics. Guaranteed the options will be Left-Wing Liberal-Drivel.

Final prediction

Final Prediction… it’s 100% assured that I won’t be watching the broadcast. For 35+ years I never missed. While working in the entertainment industry, it was always fun to gather with co-workers and see the glamour and excitement Oscars. Beginning in the George Bush era, there were just one too many pompous winners giving their options that half of American didn’t care about or agree with. Given Hollywood’s hysteria and hatred of President Trump, I have checked out from having any interest the Academy Awards. This Deplorable will find something else to do with his Sunday evening.

Pixar’s team has done it again: They have upped their own very high bar in producing animated movies that are funny, moving, creative, and outright genius in the movement they create on screen.

Occasionally when traveling with my wife and two daughters, we make up lists of things we like.On a number of occasions after we see the newest Pixar Movie, we rate our all-time favorites Pixar flicks. Making up our top three we occasionally have a few cross overs that we all love (Toy Story, Up, Ratatouille…), but more often than not we have our own personal favorites that are unique to our own tastes. (I love Cars, my wife loves Monsters, my kids love Finding Nemo.)Over the weekend we all saw together Coco, the newest Pixar animation movie. As we exited the theater, with tears running town our faces, we all looked at each other and confirmed we may have found a NEW Favorite PIXAR movie of all time. [Read more…]

Dunkirk was one of the summers big anticipated, much hyped movies. Big budget, big director, and big scope of the theme it tackled. By now it has been reviewed by all the critics around the country, and the grand majority have given it a thumbs up. The 5-10% who did not like it on the Rotten Tomatoes web site were 100% correct in their criticisms. Count me as one of the 10% who did not consider it a “good” movie. It was certainly a well-made movie, and well crafted. Yet, for the nature of the theme, and the historical importance to World War 2, it’s a movie that missed its mark. Aside from the qualms I had, which I’ll point out below, it was also rather boring. This is hard for me to say, for I’m a big admirer of the director/writer Christopher Nolan. (Who made one of my all time favorite movies, Memento. He was also the director of three of the best Batman movies, all who featured Christian Bale, in the staring role)

Unlike the invasion of Normandy, or Sicily, or Okinawa, this World War Two event, became significant in its historical impact for its escape, not its attack. There by lays a great deal of critical information that is left OUT of the movie, that minimizes the impact. A great deal of the movies criticisms come from the fact that the movie gives little information to the lead up of the Battle of Dunkirk. And in the final run, the battle was more of a survival battle than a battle to gain ground. Some at the time looked at the escape as a moment of shame for the Brits, for they had suffered huge casualties in Europe, and were now heading back home. In reality, it was a strategic escape of “they live to fight another day.”. The soldiers were heroes for their fighting to that point, and then heroes for surviving, as were the hundreds and hundreds of civilians, in their watercraft, who came to the rescue. THIS part of the story was touched on in one of the three plots, but its scale is quite small from the hundreds of others who risked their lives to do the same thing – cross the English channel, and rescue hundreds and thousands of soldiers who were being cornered in by the Germans.

Then this brings up the other big beef – the war was being waged by an evil dictator, who had hundreds and thousands of subordinates and soldiers who supported the Germans fight to control Europe as the master race. (While in the meantime, murdering millions of Jews) There was NO mention of this precursor, and nearly no mention that they were being slaughtered by the thousands, by the “Germans”. They were a faceless and nameless enemy and by downplaying that, the events that occurred on the beaches of Dunkirk just did not seem important or real. Little or no tension, and little or no emotional investment. Without historical context, we may have well beeen watching a fictional movie, about a fictional country and a fictional war.

In a summer of vapid blockbusters, The Big Sick is a charming, funny, poignant movie that shows that the American melting pot still works.

“The Big Sick”

By

The Closet Conservative Critic

The Big Sick did not have a name grabbing title drawing me to the theater. I checked out the charming trailer only after I noticed the movie was playing at our local town theater, where mostly independent or foreign movies play. I’m glad I did. The movie is a winner, by turns charming, fun, funny, poignant, and heartwarming. In the best sense of the genre that gives us so many lame, silly, stupid, crude, tasteless, or dumb movies, The Big Sick comes off as a nearly perfect, “Romantic Comedy”.

It was not until the end credits that I learned this movie was based loosely on the real life romance of the co-writers, and the male co-star, Kumail Nanjiani. I was not aware of his fame, but he’s been around, mostly in TV circles, and is quite an accomplished actor.

The movie, co-written with Nanjiani’s wife, Emily Gordon, is a story that is as old as time: Two characters who don’t have much in common when they meet nevertheless quickly fall for each other. Trouble eventually arrives when their families come into the picture. There begins the age-old dilemma: How much will the protagonists’ family traditions get in the way of their new romance?

Much of the charm, fun, romance, and later conflict, comes from the fact that Emily (played by the actress Zoe Kazan) comes from a (seemingly) secular Jewish background, while Nanjiani (he uses his real life name) has been raised in America, by immigrant Pakistani parents who want nothing more than to see their son marry another Pakistani woman and continue his Muslim faith. Nanjiani is a devoted son, yet has been very much Americanized, and sees himself going down a different path than the one his parents have planned for him. (One of the funny ongoing gags in the movie is how Nanjiani’s mother is constantly inviting to the house a string of gorgeous Pakistani young women, whom she and the young women’s mothers are doing their best to thrust into an arranged marriage.)

SPOILER ALERT AHEAD. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW A SIGNIFICANT PLOT POINT, STOP READING HERE AND JUST TAKE MY ADVICE TO SEE THIS DELIGHTFUL MOVIE, ONE THAT TRULY REFLECTS THE AMERICAN MELTING POT.

What I’m about to write doesn’t give away the movie entirely, but it’s still a little bit of a spoiler: Before the movie hits the halfway point, something dramatic happens to the main characters’ situation, and the story takes off in a different direction than that which you’d expect. In this new direction, we meet Emily’s parents, who mean well and are good people. Much of The Big Sick’s humor and poignancy comes from this new twist and seeing Nanjiani’s interaction with Emily’s parents. (The parents are played by veteran actors, Ray Romano and Holly Hunter – they play their roles to perfection.)

Move The Big Sick up to the top of your queue for movies to see. It’s a great date movie, be it with your boy/girlfriend, or your spouse of 25 years.

There was Superman : The Movie, with Christopher Reeve, in 1978, and then there was and have been dozens of comic book stories that have been developed into motion pictures. Superman (1978) set the modern standard and it has become a lofty goal to match. Some have come close. (Batman, The Dark Knight from 2008, or The Amazing Spiderman of 2012) Most have come up short or simply failed miserably. Wonder Woman has finally made it to the big screen, and I wish I could say it comes close. It doesn’t. The balancing act is difficult. Movies based on Comic books more often than not, want to remain as faithful as possible to their origins. Sometimes they remain close in spirit, and sometimes they take the story literally off the comic book pages. While Wonder Woman does follow closely a few of the comic book timelines (there have been a variety of iterations, and a few are quite different from earlier versions), what Wonder Woman lacks (that Superman 1978 had) are a series of events that enable the balance of comic book silliness to mesh with the straight face drama of crime and evil in a real world. There needs to be a moment where the hero (heroine) realizes he or she is something special to this world, and that reason for being takes on new meaning. The superhero’s powers become harnessed and utilized to protect the innocent. He or she must understand this uniqueness. [Read more…]

Our Closet Conservative Movie Critic explains how Their Finest just missed being a powerful, charming take on women’s role in England’s WWII propaganda.

I saw the trailer for Their Finest, and it was an engaging preview. It had all the markings for my kind of movie: History, Charm, Love, Humor, and all centered around the world of movie-making. Movies about “making movies” almost always strikes a chord with me. This movie has received almost exclusively positive reviews, and is going over well with the public. This all of course sets expectations way too high. With that kind of build-up, maybe it’s not surprising that I did not enjoy Their Finest.

All the humor, charm, and magic that was in the trailer was never transferred to the 2-hour feature version. It was slow, methodical, melancholy, and really lacked the big moments the trailer seemed to imply it was going to have.

The movie centers on three young lovers in London in 1940. Eight months after World War II began, England suffered a big blow in the retreat from Dunkirk. Morale is low, and the Germans are bombing London in their night raids. The protagonist, played by Gemma Arterton, is hired by the British Ministry to spice up their propaganda movies with her angle on female dialogue and perspective. There is a love story triangle that goes in ways the viewer might not expect, and there is a tragic loss that is more bizarre (if not ludicrous) than sad. [Read more…]

Let me suggest that this movie is not for everybody, even while I tell you how much I enjoyed it. It’s more or less aimed at the youth market, and is somewhat of a more somber-reflective re-make of the 1992 box office hit, “Groundhog Day”.

“Before I Fall” takes the same premise of a character who repeats the same day, over and over. In the early going, it’s bizarre, then it becomes a nightmare, and eventually the protagonist comes to grips with the situation and makes the best of it. In both BEFORE I FALL, and GROUNDHOG DAY, the title character eventually realizes that he/she is given an opportunity to do something positive with their lives, and that primarily means becoming a better person.

(Brief recap of who the Closet Conservative Critic is….C.C.C. is a 50-something “person of interest” who occasional writes on the Bookworm Blog, under the guise of the “Closet Conservative Critic”, reviewing Hollywood movies, and giving opinions with the perspective of a conservative. C.C.C. has worked in Hollywood and rubbed elbows with some of the most Liberal of the bunch. C.C.C. now lives in Marin County, and secretly lays low as a minority conservative, in a bastion of limousine liberals)

Here are my predictions for this Sunday’s Oscars… I’ll mention who I THINK will win, and who I WANT to win…. Please don’t use my chart to place any Vegas bets. This is purely based on gut feeling, and looking at patterns over the years…

First and foremost, my most obvious prediction. The Hollywood crowd will make this Oscar evening a “Let’s Bash Trump and the Republicans” night. Take that one to the bank. For that reason alone, I will not be watching the Oscars as they are broadcast on television. I’ll tune in later in the evening to see who won.

Best Picture

SHOULD WIN: La La Land: Charming, fun, romantic, innovative, emotional, colorful…. Some call it light, some call it what movies are meant to be. I loved it. It’s my personal favorite of the year.

PREDICTION: La La Land. It has the makings of the kind of movie that occasionally wins Oscars. Not the deepest or most thought provoking but makes everyone smile. A Hollywood bittersweet feel-good movie.

Best Actress (Ladies first)

SHOULD WIN: Emma Stone: La La Land. She can sing, she can dance, she can act. And, her small town charm won over my heart.

PREDICTION: Natalie Portman, Jackie. By no means a lock, but my money is on this young actress who played a role of a modern day character that all fondly rememberd, Mrs. JFK, Jackie. Ruth Negga from Loving has an outside shot so don’t count her out.

1 – La La Land: A schmaltzy throw-back to old-time Hollywood musicals. Fun dancing, colorful art direction, and beautiful music, with one of the great tear jerker flashbacks of all time. Opening number is fantastic fun, while the final 10 minutes of the movie are true emotional magic.

2 – Hidden Figures: Where has this story been?! A great feel-good, “We shall overcome” movie. Three black ladies of the NASA space program make a difference. This is inspiring beyond words. Should be a must see for inter-city girls to see what a difference HAS been made by three incredible black women from a time when it was tough to be black, and a woman. Hardly a story about victocracts. A story about strength and determination.

A quick re-cap on who I am, the Closet Conservative (Movie) Critic. I’m a graduate of the USC film school, and worked in Television and on Motion Pictures in Los Angeles for 12 years before returning to my roots of Marin County. I was a typical Hollywood/Marin Liberal most of my early life. Gradually, on my way to the age of 40, I began to swing slightly Right.

I was 41 years old on September 11, 2001. Within a few months, I had completely gone to the political Right. Although most in my family, and closest friends know I’ve “come out,” I still walk very quietly and remain in the closet for the better part of my days. In my recurring movie column, it’s my intent to enlighten fellow conservatives to movies that are not only good and bad, but also movies that sneak in little digs and insults to conservatives and conservative values OR, on the flip side, have no shame in presenting good, wholesome conservative traditions and values.

Before I delve in my first Movie Review on “The Bookworm” blog, allow me to state my “street cred.” I call myself the Closet Conservative Critic because for a number of years I was a closet conservative, meekly mingling with the Show-Biz Liberal masses in Marin County and Hollywood. I’m a graduate of the USC film school, and worked in Television and on Motion Pictures in Los Angeles for 12 years before returning to my roots of Marin County. I was a typical Hollywood/Marin Liberal most of my early life. Gradually, on my way to the age of 40, I began to slightly swing Right. I was 41 years old on September 11, 2001. Within a few months, I had completely gone to the political Right. Although most in my family, and closest friends know I’ve “come out,” I still walk very quietly and remain in the closet for the better part of my days.

About 10 years ago, as my conversion from Liberal to Conservative was just about complete, I began to grow a ‘radar’ antenna on my head, and was noting a greater deal of conservative bashing in television and movies. I suspect it was always there, but being a new member of the conservative team, my eyes were being opened to the amount of Liberal slant in entertainment.

Now, as I watch movies as a conservative, I’m very attuned to the subtle digs, and not so subtle belittling of conservative values in movies. Call it the Right, Call it the GOP, Call it conservative, Call it traditional, it’s all anything that is NOT Progressive or left of center. I will share my thoughts in the upcoming months, reviewing movies from the perspective of one who has his radar up. I’ll objectively review a movie on its merits, while at the same time, giving fellow conservatives my take on how the movie swings politically.

For this, my first review, let’s look at the recently released Patriots Day.